2 months, 3 countries and a full reboot: my sabbatical story

I love the peaceful scenery of rice fields and terraces. Here I am walking through the rice mills near Chiang Mai, in the North of Thailand (Photo Credit: Amori, Flow Yoga Chiang Mai)

It’s November 30, 2022, already two months have passed since I left Berlin and embarked on an adventure exploring Southeast Asia with my partner. During that trip, we have been lucky and unlucky… from experiencing amazing cultures and foods to experiencing a typhoon in the Philippines, or running into difficulties crossing the border from Cambodia into Thailand. Our patience, body, and mind were tested many times, but that only made the experience more intense and interesting. In all this time, I have cleared my mind of work, made room for new thoughts, worked on personal goals, and recharged my batteries. All this because I took my first sabbatical… 

Needing a break

After nearly two years of Covid-19 and all its reverberations on physical and mental health, many people are taking a career break, or leave their job to recover, regain perspective, or even travel. I wouldn't go so far as to leave Laika, because I love my crew and my work, but after a challenging year, I noticed I needed a longer break. 2022, therefore, felt like the perfect time for my first sabbatical. Laika made it possible, and I can't thank the Space Dogs enough for their support. 

One thing I would like to mention before I delve into sabbaticals, is that while a sabbatical is a wonderful opportunity, it’s not always guaranteed in a company’s policy. Taking the time to think about why you want to do it, can help you determine if you need to take the time off—sabbatical or no sabbatical. In addition, with reflection comes more appreciation for everything you’d be getting from it. This will amplify the experience. 

Now let me take you on my journey. 

Introducing the sabbatical

The idea was born sometime early 2021, but Covid-19 was still going strong, and travel restrictions were limiting our options, so we put a pin on the idea at first. Besides, my partner and I had no experience with this topic, and neither did our respective companies. But then, towards the end of 2021, we thought, what is the worst that could happen if we simply asked?

So we started looking into ways to make it work. Many questions quickly started popping up, like: How to present this to the employer? How long do we want to leave? What kind of time-off can we take? Would it be paid? While sabbaticals are voluntary and oftentimes unpaid leaves of absence, fortunately, when I presented the idea of a two-month sabbatical to Michaela, our CEO, she was open to the idea.

However, before being able to enjoy the warmth of Southeast Asia, we had to deal with the administrative bit. By January 2022, it all became very real. We drew up a new sabbatical policy for the entire company so that others could benefit from it in the future. In short, anyone who has worked at Laika for at least three years could request a two-month sabbatical. The longer the employment at Laika, the longer the sabbatical—for example, after six years, one can get a six-month leave. In terms of pay, in my case, Laika held back 25% of my salary for six months, so I would receive it during my leave. This arrangement gave me some piece of mind and I enjoyed the trip even more. 

Part of your responsibility before leaving on a sabbatical is to help your colleagues with a thorough handover, as they will be carrying your workload. It’s really a simple matter of respect towards your teammates. This means summing up your own responsibilities, open tasks and what they can expect during your time away. Admittedly, it is not the funniest part, but it’s necessary for a smooth transition and to ensure that sabbaticals continue to be offered in the future. It also helps a lot in mentally preparing for the departure. 

My two months in South East Asia: from the land of 7,000 islands to the ancient kingdom of Lanna

Although a sabbatical is not necessarily all about traveling, it felt like the right thing for me. Adventure and exploring new places is an important part of my life and has been neglected during the pandemic. This trip took us to the Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia. 

So here we go... finally! On October 3rd, 2022, my partner and I are ready to embark on our journey. First stop is Cebu, Philippines—only one of many Islands. It immediately felt right to be back in the country I once lived in and fell in love with. From the white sand beaches of El Nido, the dreamy dive sites in Coron, the bustling cities, the mystical mountains in Northern Luzon, to the magical island of Siquijor, we got the full package of the Filipino experience. Meaning: island hopping, meeting many smiling and kind people, very loud karaoke, spectacular beaches and corals, typhoons, canyons, caves, … and drinking loads of mango smoothies. It really is more fun in the Philippines—as they say! And Filipinos are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, believe me! They are the reason you will come back.

After a month of adventures in the archipelago, we moved on to our next destination: northern Thailand, formerly part of the Kingdom of Lanna. We were there just in time for the Yipeng Festival (the Festival of Lights) in Chiang Mai, where we celebrated Lanna traditions and lit a lantern for good luck. That was definitely one of my highlights—besides the great hospitality at our hostel. We stayed in the north for three more weeks, and enjoyed the jungle and its small villages, the Maerim Elephant Sanctuary, rafting in a national park, scooter rides through Pai and Chiang Rai along with all the incredible night markets, street food and the vibrant life in Bangkok. Finally, our side trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia, to see the Angkor temples, was the icing on the cake.

The benefits of a sabbatical as inspiration for a new start

Along the way, I reconnected with myself and realized the importance of taking a proper break from work, so that I could regain perspective. My wish is to use all of what I learned during my sabbatical to bolster my work at Laika. This won't always be easy, as life has a way of sucking you back into your old habits. But, as the website, Sabbatical Guide, points out, "the benefits of a sabbatical are more important than and outweigh the sabbatical itself." So the idea is to recreate, in our lives, the feelings and benefits we felt during the time off. Being physically active, enjoying the outdoors, trying out new activities, and connecting with new people were some triggers for my happiness. And I'm glad I rediscovered that for myself. 

Granted, two months doesn't seem like much, yet it is worth it and definitely made a difference in my health and well-being. It's now up to me to take advantage of it as often and as long as possible in my private and professional life. One thing is for sure: this will not be my last sabbatical. 

Here's just a glimpse into some of my favorite moments and places. Cheers…